Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-07-08

sOta and the Roanoke made ready to meet
The newcomers The queer craft was the
Merrimac at last. The Roanoke had a broken
shaft. She had to be towed out into the
wrrer by tugs
1t does not take long to tell the story OF
what followed The Minnesota grounded
out Of range Of the Virginia, and could not
he got Off. 1t was etb tide Presently the
Roanoke grounded at che stern The United
States navy was hot worth much more then
than it is now.
The Congress and Cumberland werI IN
chored nearest to the coming monitor a. she
steamed out II Elizabeth river.
There was some exchange Of shots as the
Merrimac came booming on. One shot from
her disabled several gunners on the Cumber-
land. The Cumberland was swung broadside
across the channel The Merrimac went at
her straight as an arrow and rammed her
iron beak into the Cumberland's side. A
great opening was made and water poured in
a torrent into the Cumberland. Then the
Merrimac opened fire. Every shot hit the
mark, and the decks of the wooden ship were
soon covered with dead and injured. In
three-quarters of an hour the mortally hurt
ship went down in fifty four feet of water,
SeA H6 uSeAus uyh6 OSiu "cuhucA WIN ACi'
Some were picked up in boats from the shore
and a few swan to land. The Cum
berlands topmast showed above wa
ter, with her flag still flying. 1t was
the turn Of the Congress next. The
two companion gunboats of the Merrimac
had attacked her. Seeing the fate Of the
Cumberland, Lieut.. Pendergast, commander
of the Congress, ran her aground by means
.,,l1 %
from sinking her. The Merrimac, after sink
ing the Cumberland began pouring shot into
the Congress. The aim Of the Confederates
was marvelously accurate. The firing from
the Congress had no effect on the Merrimac's
sloping iron sides.
At 4:30 Lieut.. Pendergast. seeing all was
over, hauled down the stars and stripes, and
ran up q white flag in token Of surrender.
The Confederates sent a tug to take formal
possession.
But the Congress was under shelter of the
Union batteries at Newport News, and they
opened fire and drove the tug off 1t is said
they did not see the white flag. Then the
Merrimac poured red hot shot into the poor
old ship again. Presently she left her and
bore down upon the Minnesota.
In this interval, the crew Of the Congress,
what there were left Of them, escaped to
shore in the boats Next morning, of the 434
brave men and true who had composed her
crew, only half answered to their names at
roll call The rest were killed, wounded and
missing.
There had come into Hampton Roads on
Friday, March 9, the naval ship ST. Law
renee, a sailer Seeing how the battle was 60
ing, she had herself towed toward the
grounded Minnesota, and presently she her.
self grounded. Together the two helpless
vessels waited the onslaught of the iron
beaked monster There seems to have
been inexplicable ignorance Of the channels
on the part of the Federal pilots The Roa-
noke, the Minnesota and the st. Lawrence
all ran aground.
The St Lawrence fired broadside at the
Nerrimac, which did not the slightest harm.
The Merrimac fired one single shell at the st.
Lawrence 1t went through the wooden ship
like q bolt Of lightning. Then the st. Law
whipped animal up toward Fortress Monroe.
It was getting dark The ram and her ut
teudant gunboats drew of from the fight and
steamed to Sewell's point, where they
anchored The hot shot the ram had thrown
Last into the Congress had been for the pur-
1nCe II acting fire to her. This object was
accomplished. The battered ship burned to
the waters edge. About midnight the fires
reached her powder magazine, when she
blew up with q tremendous roar, and that
was the end Of the Congress.
"Harper's Pictorial History"says of the Mer-
rimac: "No vessel that ever foa.ed had ever
done SO great work In a single half day